Editing Austin Allegro (section)

==Allegro 2 (1975–1979)==
Launched in time for the [[London Motor Show]] in October 1975, the Allegro 2 had the same bodyshells but featured a new grille, reversing lights on most models and some interior changes to increase rear seat room. The estate gained a new coachline running over the wing top lip and window edges. Changes were also made to the suspension, braking, engine mounts and drive shafts.

Since the original Allegro had been launched more than two years earlier, several of BL's key rivals in Europe had launched new competitors - these included the MK2 [[Ford Escort (Europe)|Ford Escort]], as well as the groundbreaking and highly acclaimed [[Volkswagen Golf]]. A popular Japanese rival, the 120Y generation of the [[Datsun Sunny]], had also been launched in Europe soon after the Allegro. [[General Motors]] had also introduced the [[Vauxhall Chevette]], a slightly smaller car, but which competed with larger rivals due to the practicality of its hatchback body.

[[File:Austin Allegro 2 door 1275cc March 1979.JPG|thumb|right|Two-door Austin Allegro 1300 saloon (1979)]]At the end of 1976 British Leyland confirmed that it was holding exploratory talks with trades union representatives concerning the possible transfer of Allegro production from [[Longbridge]] to the company's plant at [[Seneffe]] in Belgium.<ref name=Autocar197612>{{cite magazine|title = News: Allegro for Belgium?|magazine=[[Autocar (magazine)|Autocar]] | volume = 145 (nbr 4178)| page =26|date = 4 December 1976 }}</ref> The Belgian plant was already assembling the cars for continental European markets using [[Complete knock down|CKD]] kits shipped from the UK.<ref name=Autocar197612/> The stated objective of the transfer was to free up capacity at Longbridge for the manufacture of the forthcoming ADO88 [[Mini]] replacement. In the event, the ADO88 project was abandoned and the eventual Mini replacement, the less ambitiously engineered [[Austin Metro]], did not go on sale for another four years. Whether for reasons of politics or of customer demand or of cost, at a time of rapid currency realignment, Allegros for the UK market continued to be manufactured in the UK; the Belgian plant was closed in the early 1980s, by which time Allegro demand in continental Europe had faltered and BL's Austin-Morris division clearly had more production capacity than product demand.

Some models of Allegro 2 made for non-UK markets were equipped with four round headlights, rather than the usual two rectangular units.

Only weeks before the launch of the Allegro 3, 1979 saw the release of the 1.7l Allegro Equipe; a two-door sport style model in silver with red and orange hockey stick-shaped cheatlines and alloy wheels manufactured by [[GKN]].  The car was unveiled to the press at [[Sherburn-in-Elmet]] in [[North Yorkshire]] without the distinctive trim.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/concepts/concepts-and-prototypes/in-house-designs/concepts-and-prototypes-allegro-equipe/|title=Concepts and prototypes : Allegro Equipe|publisher=AR Online|date=9 January 2013|access-date=2016-05-10}}</ref>  The Equipe was intended to compete with the Golf GT and the Escort RS; by now though the aging Allegro with its lack of hatchback and dated styling struggled against these offerings and sales were poor.